REOPERATIONS OF SUPRATENTORIAL ANAPLASTIC ASTROCYTOMAS

Results of re-operations of 99 adult patients with recurrent supratent orial lobar glioblastomas (60 patients) and anaplastic astrocytomas (3 9 patients) have been reviewed. In all cases both surgical interventio ns were performed at the same institute. Age of patients with glioblas toma varied between 19 and 64 and with anaplastic astrocytoma between 21 and 68 years, with a mean value of 48 and 36 years, respectively. T he median interval between the first and second operations was 47 week s for patients with glioblastoma and 83 weeks with anaplastic astrocyt oma. The mortality rate of the re-operations was 3%. Following re-oper ation radio- and/or chemotherapy was applied in most of the cases. Med ian survival time after re-operation was 18.5 weeks in patients with g lioblastoma and 55 weeks with anaplastic astrocytoma. Survival curves were calculated according to Kaplan-Meier method and for statistical e valuation the generalized Wilcoxon lest and multiple linear regression method were used. Histologically lower grade tumour at the first oper ation and longer interval between the two operations proved to influen ce positively and dedifferentiation of the primary tumour negatively t he survival time.